Horse walkers or “roundabouts” have been utilized for years in the training and conditioning of horses and other animals, the typical unit often being crudely fabricated utilizing a vertically oriented, used, rear differential from a vehicle, to form a vertical support, transmission, and rotating shaft for a plurality of laterally emanating arms, each of which directs a horse in a circle about the vertical support.
Typically in such a unit the rear differential is powered via a drive belt, chain or the like engaging an electric motor. With such a design, when the horse resists the walker, it can cause the motor to burn out or trip a breaker, which causes the unit to cease functioning until it is reset. The belt requires maintenance, and belt slippage can cause loud noise which can distress the animals. Further this type of unit does not provide optimal pulling technique for training horses, the unit either applying to little pressure or pulling with too much force, depending upon its motor and gear and arrangement, which can result in injuring the horse, or ineffective training or conditioning. Further, because the unit relies upon electricity, and the unit is generally made of a conductive material (metal) in the elements, there exists, the possibility of electric shock.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,686 is illustrative of a device wherein an electric motor is provided at the top of the vertical support, which motor, via V-belt, caused a separate vertical shaft to rotate the spars.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,766,848, 5,630,380, Des 229,570, U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,132, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,213,056 teach horse walkers wherein the vertical support member comprises the drive shaft along its length, with the motor (illustrated as electric), via chain, belt, or friction drive, situated at the bottom of the vertical support member, which causes the vertical support shaft to spin about its axis.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,981,274 teaches horse walker wherein the vertical support member incorporates a vertical drive shaft about mid-way up the support, the upper portion rotated via exterior motor with a friction drive wheel.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,676,601 teaches a carousel apparatus or turntable having a vertical drive which is indicated as may be driven by a hydraulic motor.
All of the above horse walkers exclusively contemplate the utilization of electric drive means, and a belt, chain, or friction drive train or the like, each of which presents inherent problems mentioned in the above discussion.